Sir Donald George Bradman

#OnThisDay, The Greatest of All Time reaches a century of FC centuries!

At the @SCG, for Aus XI vs India in an FC game in 1947

And what a magnificent knock of 172 it was, laced with 18 fours and a six

More on this innings, this match, this legend

1/ Bradman hadn't been in great health during the last season
The fibrositis had recurred in his back

But he was still a Test selector and he played in all The Ashes Tests that year as Captain and did very well

So he still hadn't lost his touch for sure

2/ When the Indians arrived in late 1947, Bradman was raring to go

There was the '48 Ashes tour to Eng to look forward to, surely his last one as he closed in on 40 yrs

And sure enough, in his 1st FC match vs India for South Aus, he cracked 156 at @TheAdelaideOval in Oct '47

3/ It was in this match itself that the late great Vinoo Mankad got DGB stumped with the acrobatic Probir Sen being our wicketkeeper

Then in early Nov '47, in a #SheffieldShield game vs Victoria for South Aus, he scored an even 100

This was Century No. 99

All set then!

4/ Day1 of Aus XI vs India FC match at Sydney ended with the visitors at 292/9

Which meant Day2 saw the crowd ballooning up obviously

DGB went in at 11/1 after the Ind were all out for 326

He knew it could be No. 100 and so the innings was a mix of caution & aggression

5/ As the last over before tea was to begin, he was on 99

The Indian Skipper, Lala Amarnath perhaps had a sense of history too

Gave the ball to Gogumal Kishenchand who hadn't bowled a ball in the tour till then

And then the moment arrived

6/ Carted around a few after the landmark and was out for 172 through a a catch at long off on Day2 at 283/3

Aus all out for 380 on Day3

In response, India scored 304/9 and declared on Day4
Our Kishenchand got 50s in both innings :)

Aus were set 251 to win in 2.5 hrs or so on

7/ Vinoo Mankad hadn't given up

He upheld the laws of the game by running out Aus opener, Bill Brown at the non striker's end

Picked up 8/84 when he did complete his bowling action

Aus who had gamely accepted the challenge folded for 203 only

A precious win for us!

8/ One of the umpires in this game was George Borwick

Well known prolific Aus ump who had seen it all including Bodyline 1932

Borwick got hold of the ball which Bradman hit for a single to reach his 100th 100 and thought of presenting it to DGB at the end

9/ DGB put his autograph on the ball and asked Borwick to keep it

Borwick got it mounted and it occupied place of pride on his mantle piece for many years

They say his son handed it over to @BradmanBowral many years later

Here's the ball in all its glory

<End>

If it's Bradman, it has to be @CricVestigate

Brilliant storytelling for the 100th 100, the Indian win and *that* run out https://twitter.com/CricVestigate/status/1327607603464073216?s=19